Chapters 23-30 Summary

St. Louis is cold and ready to snow when Henry, suffering depressive fits, rents a nice clean place. When he suffers a fit of loud vomiting, someone knocks at the door to check if he is all right. Gertrude is scrubbed, kind-faced, dark-haired, with a cute nose, and perfect legs. Hilda, also pink and scrubbed, blushes as she is introduced. Mrs. Downing is, as Henry imagines, a widow and very religious. Gertrude wonders why Henry spends so much time alone and what ails him . He claims not to like people, but promises to try to take her to a movie. Gertrude's eyes look through Henry, making him feel helpless. She shows him her perfumed bedroom full of stuffed animals and warns him never to tell Mrs. Downing. One night, he takes Gertrude to a bar, but they fight.

Henry finds work...